Sewing machines



March 8, 1966 FRESARD 3,238,905

SEWING MACHINES Filed Jan. 20, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR ATTORNEY March 8, 1966 M. FRESARD 3,238,905

SEWING MACHINES Filed Jan. 20, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR m/m an PRES/4RD ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,238,905 SEWING MACHINES Marcel Fresard, Petit-Lancy, Geneva, Switzerland, as-

signor to Mefina A., Fribourg, Switzeriand, a corpo= ration of Switzerland Filed .Ian. 20, 1964, Ser. No. 338,904 Claims priority, application Switzerland, June 26, 1963, 8,071/63 4 Claims. (Cl. 112158) The present invention concerns a sewing machine, wherein the needle bar is adapted to be subjected to lateral displacements controlled by means of a feeler maintained in contact with the contour of a rotatable cam by a spring, a regulating member permitting the variation of the amplitude of said lateral displacements. This type of sewing machine also includes a device permitting the variation of the centering position of the needle with respect to the needle hole plate. This device comprises a support carrying the pivotal axle for the feeler of the cam, said support adapted to be moved into different positions by means of a manipulating member. The machine includes a mechanism permitting the effecting of the variation of the amplitude and the direction of displacement of the feed dog, and is provided moreover with a device for facilitating the making of button holes. The button hole making device comprises an auxiliary plate, adapted to occupy two simultaneous active angular positions, in which it operates on the mechanism for regulating the amplitude and the direction of the displacements of the feed dog of the machine, as well as on the centering device for the needle. The selection of the two positions of the auxiliary plate is effected from the member for regulating the amplitude of the lateral displacements of the needle bar, which member is carried by a lever pivoted around an axis common to the rotatable cam and to the auxiliary plate.

According to the present invention the member for regulating the amplitude of the lateral displacements of the needle bar comprises a knob secured to an axle extending the said lever, this axle being adapted to turn in the said lever to occupy three angular positions fixed by locking means. In the first angular position, a pin secured to said axle cooperates with notches formed in a plate secured to the frame of the machine to fix the positions regulating the zigzag amplitude. In the second angular position the pin is free from the notches, thus the regulation of the amplitude is free from any tactile reference. In the third position, the pin engages in a slot formed in said auxiliary plate to render the plate secure, but with lost motion relative to the amplitude regulating lever.

The invention will be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a view in partial elevation of this sewing machine, showing its control members;

FIGURE 2 is a view in plan of the decentering control member;

FIGURES 3 and 4 show in perspective the regulating member for the amplitude of the lateral displacements of the needle bar in its two positions of use;

FIGURE 5 is a schematic view in plan of the device for controlling the transverse movements of the needle bar;

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of the mechanism in accordance with FIGURE 5 completed by the device for making button holes;

FIGURE 7 is a similar view to the preceding, showing the device for making button holes in another position; and

FIGURE 8 is a view of a detail.

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The sewing machine in accordance with the invention is a sewing machine of the type described in the US. Patent No. 2,682,845 dated July 6, 1954, that is to say a sewing machine in which the needle bar 1 slides vertically in a cradle 2 adapted to oscillate about a vertical axis 3 under the control of a pitman 4, pivoted by one of its ends 5 to the said cradle 2, the other end 6 of this pitman 4 ending in a finger coming into abutment against the face 7 of a lever 8 pivoted at 9 on a support lever 10 (see FIGURES 5 and 6). The length of this pitman 4 is adjustable by means of an eccentric and a locking screw 76.

This support lever 10 is adapted to turn on an axis 11 fixed to the frame, or casing, 12 of the machine. This support lever 10 has an extension 13 carrying at its end a finger 14 engaged against the profile of a cam 15 made in the upper face of a sprocket 16 adapted to turn around an axis 17 carried by the frame of the machine. As will be explained further on, this sprocket 16, which projects on the front face of the machine, is adapted to control the decentering of the needle 18 with respect to the needle hole plate 19. This finger 14 is adjustable in the extension 13 by means of a device having an eccentric and a lock nut 20.

A horizontal shaft is mounted in the upper arm 21 of this sewing machine; this horizontal shaft is adapted to actuate, on the one hand, the needle bar 1 and, on the other hand by the intermediary of a tangent screw and pinion, not shown, to actuate a vertical axle 22 carried by a bearing situated in the upper part of the frame 12. A hub 23 is disposed around this vertical axle 22 and a lever 24 is engaged around this hub. One of the arms 25 of this lever 24 carries a finger 26 engaging in a slide 27 secured to the pitman 4. This finger 26 and this slide 27 are adapted to guide the pitman 4 during its reciprocating movements effected by the oscillation of the lever 3. These oscillations are effected by a follower member 28 of a cam 29 secured to the vertical axle 22 (see FIG- URE 6). This follower member 28, constituted in this particular case by a pulley or wheel is carried by the lever 8. The oscillating movements transmitted to the follower member 28 by a cam 29 in the course of its revolutions are thus transmitted to the lever 8 carrying the slide '7.

A spring 30 is adapted to exercise a constant force on the pitman 4 to maintain the finger 6 forming one of its ends in contact with the slide 7. The amplitude of the oscillating movements transmitted to the needle bar 1 from the cam 29, by means of the follower member 23, of the lever 3, of the pitman 4 and of the oscillating cradle 2, can be regulated by angularly displacing the lever 24, in such a manner as to bring the finger 6 into different positions along the slide 7. This angular adjustment of the lever 24 is effected in operating on the arm 31 of the said lever. This arm 31 presents an axial bore 32, in which there is engaged an axle 33 which extents the arm of the lever 24. The free end of this axle 33 carries a control knob 34 maintained on this axle 33 by means of a screw 35. The axle 33 passes through a slot 36 of the frame 12 with respect to which there are marked references 37, namely 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 (see FIGURE 1).

A brake 38 operates on the lever 24 for avoiding unwanted angular displacements thereof. This brake 3% is controlled by a screw 39 screwed in an ear 40 secured to the frame 12. A spring 41, engaged around the shank of the screw 39, bears on the brake 38 against the external part in the form of a cylinder of the hub of the lever 24.

Independently of the brake 38, the lever 24 can be fixed in a position oposite each of the reference marks 37 by means of notches 42 (see FIGURE 8) which are presented by a plate 77 oscillatingly mounted on the frame 12 by means of a pivot screw 78 engaged in one of its ends. A spring 79, hooked by one of its ends to a cotter 80 carried by the frame 12 and by its other end to an abutment screw 81 carried by the plate 77, tends to pivot said plate in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIG- URE 8. A part secured to the axle 33, in this instance a pin 43 engaged transversely in this axle 33, is adapted to cooperate with the notches 42 to fix the positions 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 for regulating the zigzag amplitude. The axle 33, carrying the control knob 34, is adapted to occupy three angular positions in the arm 31 of the lever 24.

As is seen in FIGURES to 8, the front end 44 of the arm 31 presents two grooves 45 and 4-6, disposed in the form of a cross, in which the pin 43 is adapted to engage under the action of a spring 47 tending to displace the axle 33 in the direction of the axle 22. In elfect, this spring 47 is engaged around the axle 33 and bears by one of its ends, against the edge 48 of an opening 49 made in the arm 31, and, by its other end, against a shoulder 50 presented by the axle 33 itself.

As can be seen by examining FIGURE 5, right hand side 51 of the front face 44 of the arm 31 is radially further away from the axle 22, than the rest of this front face 44, in a manner to prevent the passage of the pin 43 on the right hand side of this front face 44 (with respect to FIGURE 5). In effect, the coils of the spring 47 limit the axial displacement of the axle 33 towards the outside of the arm 31, and the shoulder 52 of th said arm constitutes an abutment for the pin 43 beyond which it cannot pass even when it has attained its position furthest away from the axle 22 by traction on the control knob 34.

When the pin 43 is directed downwardly in turning the control knob 34 in an anti-clockwise direction to bring it into the position shown in FIGURE 1, the end of the pin 43, guided in the lower groove 46, then engages in the notches 42.

This first position of the control knob 34 thus permits bringing the lever 24 in a stable manner into the selected positions 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 for regulating the amplitude.

After having exerted a retractile force on the knob 34, the pin 43 is disengaged from the groove 46 to draw it by angular displacement a quarter of a turn in a clockwise direction in the groove 45, the knob 34 then occupies a horizontal position as shown in FIGURE 3. In this position, the pin 43 has left the notches 42 and the lever 24 can be drawn into any angular poistion between the positions 0 and 4, the said lever 24 being maintained in a stable manner in any of the positions by the brake 38.

When a new tractive force is exerted on the knob 34 to disengage the pin 43 from the groove 45 and to bring it, after rotation a quarter of a turn to the right, in the upper groove 46, the said pin 43 then projects upwardly and engages in a slot 53 of auxiliary plate 54 engaged around the hub 23. This auxiliary plate 54 is adapted to turn around the said hub, always while being maintained on said hub by a clip 55. This auxiliary plate 54 forms part of a device which this sewing machine comprises to facilitate the making of button holes. Such device has been described in detail in the U.S. Patent No. 3,009,- 429 dated November 21, 1961.

This auxiliary plate 54 is adapted to occupy two simultaneous active angular positions, in which it operates on the mechanism for adjusting the amplitude and the direction of the displacements of the feed dog of the sewing machine, said feed dog controlling the forward or backward movements of the pieces to be sewn. This plate 54 moreover operates on the centering device for the needle 18 with respect to the needle hole plate 19. The selection of the two positions of the auxiliary plate 54 is accurately effected by the member 34 for regulating 4 the amplitude of the lateral displacements of the needle bar 1.

The regulating mechanism for the feed dog will not be described in detail here, being given that it is known from the U.S. Patent No. 3,149,592 dated September 22, 1964.

It will sufiice to recapitulate that the control of this mechanism is effected by means of a vertical axle disposed in the column of the sewing machine and the upper end of which carries an arm forming a slide. A finger 56, carried by a lever 57 pivoted at 53 on another lever 59, itself pivoted at 60 on the frame 12 of the sewing machine, is adapted to give to this slide certain angular displacements transmitted by this vertical axle for the control of the feed dog mechanism to effect the variation of its amplitude and the direction of its displacements. The lever 57 carries a finger 61 adapted to be engaged in two slots 62 and 63 of the auxiliary plate 54. It is the depth of these slots 62 and 63 which gives a particular angular position on the lever 57 controlling the predetermined amplitude of the length of the stitch, controlled by the feed dog, likewise the direction of movement thereof. The interlocking of this mechanism automatically controlling the movement of the feed dog is effected in manipulating the control member 64 (see FIGURE 1) which operates, by means of a cam, not shown, on the end 65 of the lever 59 (see the U.S. Patent No. 3,149,592 dated September 22, 1964).

It is thus that in the position A, shown in FIGURE 1, that the control knob 64 interlocks the automatic control of the feed dog by means of this auxiliary plate 54.

This auxiliary plate 54 presents moreover a nose 66 adapted to co-operate with a beak 67 carried by the lever 10. This lever 10 is submitted to the action of a spring 68 tending to maintain the finger 14 in contact with the cam 15 for adjustment of the centering position of the needle 18. The nose 66 likewise operates on the position of decentering of the needle 18 with respect to the needle hole plate 19 during the stitching of button holes.

When the sewing machine is to be used for the making of button holes with the use of the auxiliary plate 54, the control knob 16 must first of all be drawn into the position for which the needle 18 is decentered to the left with respect to the needle hole plate. In this position of the knob 16, the finger 14 is found in the largest part of the indentation the edges of which form the cam 15 (see FIGURE 2). The material being placed below the hind foot and the adjusting member 34 being found in the third position, shown in FIGURES 4, 6 and 7, the user of the sewing machine then brings the member 34 opposite the reference 2 of the graduation 37.

The knob 64 is then brought into the position A automatic, which engages the finger 61 in the slot 62, this engagement giving a stable position to the plate 54. The putting into operation of the sewing machine in this position permits the sewing of the first lip 69 of the button hole in the backward direction of the feed dog being given that the slot 62 of the plate 54, the less deep of the two slots, controls a backward movement of the feed dog with a stitch length of small amplitude to obtain close up zigzag stitches.

Zigzag movements of the needle bar 18 are, of course, controlled from the cam 29, of the follower member 28, of the lever 8 and of the pitman 4. After having stitched the lip 69 over its entire length, the user of the sewing machine exerts a pressure towards the right against the control knob 34, displacing this from the position 2 to the position 4 against the action of the spring 68. In the course of this movement, the auxiliary plate 54 pivots a certain angle bringing the slot 63 opposite the finger 61. The feed dog mechanism is then regulated to eflfect a movement in the reverse direction, that is to say a forward movement of small stitch length. Moreover, the nose 66 pushes back, in the course of this movement, the beak 67 which draws the finger 14 from the opposite side of the indentation the edge of which forms the cam 15 of the sprocket 16. The needle 18 is then found in this way decentered towards the right. The slot 63 is marked in a manner sufficiently precise in the plate 54 to ensure a stable position of the said plate, even due to the force exerted by the spring 68 on the lever 10, force which is transmitted by the beak 67 against the nose 66.

In this position of the knob 34, opposite the reference 4 of the graduation 37, the user of the machine stitches the connecting stitches 79 closing one of the ends of the button hole. After having pricked several connecting stitches, for example five to eight stitches, the user of the machine brings back the knob 34 to the position 2, position which is registered at the moment Where the pin 43 comes into contact with the left hand edge 71 of the slot 53 made in the plate 54. The machine then sews the second lip 72 of the button hole in the forward direction of the feed dog. Once the needle arrives in the region of the end of the lip 72, the user of the machine brings back the knob 34 opposite the position 4 to prick the several connecting stitches 73 closing the button hole. This operation is thus finished. The user then bring back the knob 34 towards the position 0, which brings back the auxiliary plate 54 into the initial position for a new stitching of a button hole, always while permitting the pricking of several stitches to close the button hole which has just been made.

As has been noted from the preceding description, the special construction of a control knob 34, adapted to occupy three angular positions around an axle 33, permits with the aid of this same knob 34:

(a) The control of the variations of the amplitude of the transverse movements of the needle bar 1 with respect to the position 0, 1, 2, 3, 4;

(b) A control of the variations of the amplitude of the transverse movements of the needle bar 1 without precise limitation between the amplitude nil and the maximum amplitude 4;

(c) The simultaneous control of the variations of the amplitude of the transverse movements of the needle bar 1, and of the device facilitating the sewing of button holes, said device operated by the auxiliary plate 54-, on the one hand on the mechanism for centering the needle 18 with respect to the needle plate 19 and, on the other hand, on the control mechanism of the feed dog by the finger 61 and the levers 57 and 59.

I claim:

1. In a sewing machine including a frame, a laterally displaceable needle bar, a rotatable cam mounted on a vertical axle in the upper part of said frame, and presenting a contour, a feeler connected to said needle bar, spring means urging the feeler into contact with cam contour whereby cam rotation effects lateral displacement of the needle bar by means of the feeler, regulating means for varying the amplitude of said lateral displacements of the need-1e bar, a needle carried by said needle bar, a needle hole plate, means for varying the centered position of the needle relative to the needle hole plate, said means including a support carrying a pivotal axle for said feeler, the pivotal axle for said feeler located adjacent to and parallel to said cam axle, means for manually selecting one of a series of alternative positions of said support, a displaceable feed dog, means for varying the amplitude and direction of displacement of said feed dog, a button hole making device including an auxiliary plate mounted on said vertical axle beneath said rotatable cam, said auxiliary plate adapted to occupy two simultaneous active angular positions wherein it operates on said feed dog amplitude and direction varying means and wherein it operates on said needle centered position varying means, said needle bar lateral displacement amplitude regulating means effecting selection of the position of said auxiliary plate, a first axle coaxial with the axis of rotation of said rotatable cam, and a lever pivoted on said axle and carrying said needle bar lateral displacement amplitude regulating means, a hollow arm extending laterally from said lever; the combination comprising a second axle slidably disposed in said hollow arm and providing an extension of said arm, said needle bar lateral displacement amplitude regulating means including a knob secured to the outer end of said second axle, said second axle being adapted to rotate in said arm to assume three alternative angular positions, means for locking said second axle and knob in each of said positions, a sewing machine frame part presenting a plurality of notches, a member integral with said second axle cooperating with said notches to fix the positions regulating the zigzag amplitude in the first of said angular positions; in the second of said angular positions said member integral with the second axle being free from any tactile reference, a slot in said auxiliary plate whereby in the third angular position said member integral with the second axle engages in said slot for rendering said lever secure but with lost motion to permit movement of said lever within the limits defined by the sides of said slot.

2. A structure as defined in claim 1 wherein said member comprises a transverse pin laterally projecting from said arm extending axle, said pin being adapted to co-operate with said notches, and alternatively to cooperate with said auxiliary plate slot, said lever arm presenting crossed grooves in a front end thereof, said pin furthermore co-operating with said crossed grooves, said axle being adapted to slide in said arm, and a spring for urging said transverse pin into engagement with said crossed grooves.

3. A structure as defined in claim 2 also including a brake operating on the said lever for regulating the stitch size.

4. A structure as defined in claim 3, wherein said notches are made in a plate on the machine frame and spring means bears elastically on said plate against said transverse pin.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,682,845 7/1954 Casas-Robert et a1. 112--l58 2,979,002 4/1961 Casas-Robert et al. 112-158 3,009,429 11/1961 Fresard 112-158 FRANK J. COHEN, Primary Examiner.

ROBERT V. SLOAN, R. J. SCANLAN,

Assistant Examiners. 

1. IN A SEWING MACHINE INCLUDING A FRAME, A LATERALLY DISPLACEABLE NEEDLE BAR, A ROTATABLE CAM MOUNTED ON A VERTICAL AXLE IN THE UPPER PART OF SAID FRAME, AND PRESENTING A CONTOUR, A FEELER CONNECTED TO SAID NEEDLE BAR, SPRING MEANS URGING THE FEELER INTO CONTACT WITHIN CAM CONTOUR WHEREBY CAM ROTATION EFFECTS LATERAL DISPLACEMENT OF THE NEEDLE BAR BY MEANS OF THE FEELER, REGULATING MEANS FOR VARYING THE AMPLITUDE OF SAID LATERAL DISPLACEMENTS OF THE NEEDLE BAR, A NEEDLE CARRIED BY SAID NEEDLE BAR, A NEEDLE HOLE PLATE MEANS FOR VARYING THE CENTERED POSITION OF THE NEEDLE RELATIVE TO THE NEEDLE HOLE PLATE, ING THE AMPLITUDE AND DIRECTION OF DISPLACEMENT OF SAID FOR SAID FEELER, THE PIVOTAL AXLE FOR SAID FEELER LOCATED ADJACENT TO AND PARALLEL TO SAID CAM AXLE, MEANS FOR MANUALLY SELECTING ONE OF A SERIES OF ALTERNATIVE POSITIONS OF SAID SUPPORT, A DISPLACEABLE FEED DOG, MEANS FOR VARYING THE AMPLITUDE AND DIRECTION OF DISPLACEMENT OF SAID FEED DOG, A BUTTON HOLE MAKING DEVICE INCLUDING AN AUXILIARY PLATE MOUNTED ON SAID VERTICAL AXLE BENEATH SAID ROTATABLE CAM, SAID AUXILIARY PLATE ADAPTED TO OCCUPY TWO SIMULTANEOUS ACTIVE ANGULAR POSITIONS WHEREIN IT OPERATES ON SAID FEED DOG AMPLITUDE AND DIRECTION VARYING MEANS AND WHEREIN IT OPERATES ON SAID NEEDLE CENTERED POSITIONS VARYING MEANS, SAID NEEDLE BAR LATERAL DISPLACEMENT AMPLITUDE REGULATING MEANS EFFECTING SELECTION OF THE POSITION OF AUXILIARY PLATE, A FIRST AXLE COAXIAL WITH THE AXIS OF ROTATION OF SAID ROTATABLE CAM, AND A LEVER PIVOTED ON SAID AXLE AND CARRYING SAID NEEDLE BAR LATERAL DISPLACEMENT AMPLITUDE REGULATING MEANS, A HOLLOW ARM EXTENDING LATERALLY FROM SAID LEVER; THE COMBINATION COMPRISING A SECOND AXLE SLIDABLY DISPOSED IN SAID HOLLOW ARM AND PROVIDING AN EXTENSION OF SAID ARM, SAID NEEDLE BAR LATERAL DISPLACEMENT AMPLITUDE REGULATING MEANS INCLUDING A KNOB SECURED TO THE OUTER END OF SAID SECOND AXLE, SAID SECOND AXLE BEING ADAPTED TO ROTATE IN SAID ARM TO ASSUME THREE ALTERNATIVE ANGULAR POSITIONS, MEANS FOR LOCKING SAID SECOND AXLE AND KNOB IN EACH OF SAID POSITIONS, A SEWING MACHINE FRAME PART PRESENTING A PLURALITY OF NOTCHES, A MEMBER INTEGRAL WITH SAID SECOND AXLE COOPERATING WITH SAID NOTCHES TO FIX THE POSITIONS REGULATING THE ZIGZAG AMPLITUDE IN THE FIRST OF SAID ANNULAR POSITIONS; IN THE SECOND OF SAID ANGULAR POSITIONS SAID MEMBER INTEGRAL WITH THE SECOND AXLE BEING FREE FROM ANY TACTILE REFERENCE, A SLOT IN SAID AUXILIARY PLATE WHEREBY IN THE THIRD ANGULAR POSITIONS SAID MEMBER INTEGRAL WITH THE SECOND AXLE ENGAGES IN SAID SLOT FOR RENDERING SAID LEVER SECURE BUT WITH LOST MOTION TO PERMIT MOVEMENT OF SAID LEVER WITHIN THE LIMITS DEFINED BY THE SIDES OF SAID SLOT. 